1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of stuffed toys, in particular, a method, apparatus and kit for stuffing plush toys.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retail shops at which customers can make customized stuffed toys such as teddy bears are extremely popular. Such toys are also known in the toy trade as “plush.” At such retail shops customers choose from a variety of pre-made animal or character “skins,” which are the outer fabric casings of the plush toy comprised of fabric panels sewn together into the form of the animal or character and act as the container, which is formed into the full shape of the animal or character by being stuffed full of a soft, fluffy stuffing material. In essence, the skin is the plush toy absent the stuffing and decorative detailing. The customer also selects from a variety of facial features to be attached to the skin in the appropriate location after the skin is stuffed and choose from a variety of clothing and other accessories to complete the plush toy.
The focal point of the in-store manufacturing process is the stuffing machine. It is a large piece of heavy equipment that typically measures several feet in length, width, and height, and weighs hundreds of pounds. It is powered by a/c current that runs large motors, blowers and air compressors which, together, generate and direct significant air velocity and pressure needed to feed the stuffing from the machine, through an injection tube, and into the skin through a hole in the fabric of the skin. Once filled with stuffing, the skin is removed from the injection tube and the store employee closes the skin fill hole by tying shut laces around the hole, or by some other method of closure, which requires the skill of the store employees.
Due to the size and costs of the machine required for this method of stuffing a plush toy, it is too dangerous to be handled by customers, especially young children. Therefore, the customer merely passively watches, while the employee performs the entire manufacturing process.
Attempts have been made to reduce the size and cost of these stuffing machines to make them more portable and more suitable for the mass market, but the degree to which they can be reduced is restricted by the requirements of the large motors and compressors needed to generate sufficient pressure to fill the skins. Such machines also require skill and dexterity not possessed by young children.
There remained a need for a toy stuffing apparatus to be reduced to a size, price, and level of skill and safety that would allow them to be used at home by small children as an activity toy, or craft kit. The inventors' prior U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,841, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, sets forth a mechanical apparatus for stuffing plush toys which can be used at home. This patent includes an apparatus having a top drum within which arms and paddles are rotated to fluff the plush toy stuffing and push the stuffing down into a chamber in which a simultaneously rotated auger, transports the stuffing along the auger shaft and out to an exit, and, in turn into the plush toy casing.
However, this apparatus has numerous parts and their configuration requires a certain size and internal volume to operate properly. Accordingly, there remained a need to have a simpler mechanical toy stuffing apparatus which has less parts and is smaller than the prior art apparatus and, therefore, easier and less expensive to manufacture. There also remained a need to have a mechanical toy stuffing apparatus that was simpler and easier to operate and eliminated the need to hold the plush casing onto the fill nozzle.
The prior art discloses different types of stuffing apparatus. However, so far as is known, none of the prior art devices resolve all of these problems in a simple, effective and yet highly advantageous manner as in the present invention discussed herein.